I apologize for making this chapter so long, but I really wanted to get to the next part of this story. The next chapter will most likely be the last. Thank you so much for reading!
The small green sign that read Mystic Fall's Population 10,000 finally came into view. It was around 8 Am when she passed the grill and then pulled into her driveway. Damon got out of the car and whipped around to open the door for Elena. Elena smiled softly at him and muttered a thanks. He shut the door and walked with her to her front door.
"You know you don't have to watch me. I won't try to leave again." Elena stared at the ground not wanting to look him in the eyes.
"Elena I know you won't leave again. I'm just making sure you are okay."
"I'm fine Damon, I really am."
"Okay, well I will come by tomorrow to see you again." Damon didn't wait for her to protest and vanished presumably to the boarding house.
Elena walked into her house exhausted. She walked upstairs knowing they only person there she had to check on was Jeremy. She looked in and saw him sleeping, his headphones curled around his neck. She lay down on her bed, kicked off her tall boots put her head down on the pillow and closed her eyes. She slept the whole day and woke up only to have dinner. No sleep had really taken it out of her and she went back to sleep. This time she dreamt. She kept seeing Damon's face and then it flip to Stefan's covered in blood. She didn't sleep as well and woke up feeling uneasy. She walked downstairs and Jeremy was eating breakfast. He said good morning, unaware of what had occurred in the last two days or so. The doorbell rang and Elena went to get it.
"Morning Elena." Damon's smirking face looked down at her.
"Hello Damon." Elena stepped aside to allow him to enter.
Jeremy saw Damon gave him a friendly wave, finished eating and left to go hang out with Bonnie leaving the house to Elena and Damon. Damon flopped down on her couch and stared at her with his ice blue eyes.
"Any more thoughts of leaving dear Elena?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm. Elena rolled her eyes at him.
"No." She sat down softly in the chair next to the couch.
"So why are you checking up on me? Is there any news on Stefan?" She asked almost not wanting to know.
"As a matter of fact, I got a call this morning from a friend who said he saw him roll through the bar he was at. That's why I stopped by."
"Well we need to go after him! We need to help him Damon!" Damon frowned.
"I was planning to. Alone." Damon said rather pointedly.
"There is no way you are doing this without me."
"Fine."
"Fine? That's it?"
"What were you expecting me to do? Go down kicking and screaming? I'm not going to argue with you on this one."
Elena mulled his words over in her head and wondered if it had anything to do with the most recent events that had transpired.
"Can you be ready to go in an hour?"
"Yeah, I just need to tell Jeremy and put some things together."
"I'll be back then to pick you up." Then Damon was gone.
Elena laughed. Damon had tried so hard to bring her home and now he was the one taking her away again.
An hour later Damon was back and Elena pilled into his car. Huh, she thought, he must have gone back to get it at some point. Elena had called Jeremy and let him know what was going on. Jeremy had long since matured and Elena knew he would okay by himself for however long she would be gone. Damon started the car and pulled out of the drive and soon they were on the highway. The music was on again. This seemed to be a new constant theme in their interactions. They drove for hours like that. Damon spoke up seeming to voice Elena's concern.
"When we find him and if he is not himself you are going to have to let him go. I knew Stefan when he was a Ripper Elena. It was bad and no one could teach him humanity until Lexie. But Lexie is gone, I killed her and you can't do it because he will kill you before you can even mutter a word. You are going to have to let him go" Damon looked at her. His eyes showed the true sympathy he felt for the situation Elena was in.
"I know that" Elena did know, but didn't think she would be able to do it.
They passed small town after small town. Damon finally pulled over to a small bar that rested just off the side of the road. Damon told Elena to wait in the car and he walked inside. Elena waited and saw the sun beginning to set on the horizon. Damon came back out to the car.
"According to my friend he left just under an hour ago in his car. He can't be far off."
Damon revved the engine and the pulled back onto the road.
An hour passed and all they saw was trees and open plains. About two hours later they came across a small bed and breakfast. Stefan's car was parked in the front. Damon pulled a u-turn and parked several hundred feet away on the side of the road. He turned to look at Elena. He could see the fear in her eyes.
"Please, for me, stay here." His voice pleaded with her.
Elena felt bad as she said that she would. As bad as she felt for lying to Damon her desire to see and help Stefan was far greater. As soon as Damon walked into the B&B she got out of the car and ran after him.
When Damon walked in he could smell the blood. His fangs came out on instinct alone.
"Stefan" he called out hesitantly. Stefan landed right in front of him having jumped from the landing area on the old staircase.
"Ah brother, come to join me?"
"No I'm here to take you home." Damon could see there was no way to reason with him. He was gone.
"I see you've brought a snack. My lovely Elena, how are you today." Stefan bowed deeply as he said this.
Damon whipped around pure fury filled his eyes, but a strong sadness was there as well. Elena couldn't tell if was for her and Stefan.
"Please Stefan it's me, Elena. I know this isn't you." Elena pleaded with him.
"Elena he is gone. The Stefan you know is gone." Damon softly said. "Go back to the car." This he demanded.
"No, no, no. Not so fast." Stefan jumped in front of the door and reached for Elena. Damon ran right into Stefan pushing them both through the wall and into the sunlight. Elena stood, rooted to the floor horrified at the scene taking place in front of her. Damon wrestled Stefan to the ground. Stefan pushed him off and they stood facing each other.
"I always knew, the moment you came back from Georgia with her, you began to love her. She had to be the one to bring back your humanity. I hated you for that. But now I don't care." Stefan smiled then ran at Damon. Elena crumpled to the floor. Damon jumped aside, he still had the tactful advantage. Stefan hadn't been on human blood long enough.
"You know what Damon," Stefan said realizing his defeat, "I'll leave you to her. Good bye Elena, I will always... hate you." At that Stefan ran.
Elena sat sobbing on the floor. Damon came over picked her up and held her walking back to the car. He laid her in the backseat and held as sobs of hatred, pain, and sorrow racked her broken body.
